Self-cleaning blower vane structure



Aug. 18, 1964 H. LJUNGSTRM ETAL SELF-CLEANING BLOWER VANE STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 3, 1961 BY WKW AT YS.

g 1964 H. LJUNGSTRM ETAL & 3

SELF-CLEANING BLOWER VANE STRUCTURE tNvENTORS:

HERBERT LJUNGSTR'M mm c EDERHOLM HANS' ZET'TERBERG TY&

United States Patent O &144983 SELECLEANENG ELGWER VANE STRUCTURE Herhert Ljungstrm, .lianahopirig Curt Cederholm, Vendelso, and Hans Zetterherg, Farsta, weden, assignors to Aktiebolaget Svenska Flaktiabrilren, ltoekholm, Sweden Filed `luly 3, 1961, Ser. Ne. 12.1,576 Claims priority, application, Sweden, .Fruity 5, 1960, 6,564/ 6 1 4 Claims. (Ci. %til@ The present invention relates to a self-cleaning vane structure, as for a device for transportirg of dust-laden gases, consisting of an axial blower with adjustable blower blades and with rigid guiding blades or vanes arranged after, i.e. downstream of, the blower wheel. In present constructions of blowers of the above mentioned kind it has been difiicult to keep the guiding vanes which are arranged after the blower wheel for obtaining high eiiiciency free from dust deposits. The invention makes possible an effective cleaning of said guiding vanes with simple means and is characterized by the fact that the guiding vanes are made at least partially of an elastic material and in that there are means for changing the cross section profile temporarily for breaking up and removing a layer of dust deposited from the gas and covering the surface of the guiding vanes.

According to a suitable embodiment the guiding vanes consist of a plate profile with an outer covering of rubber or similar elastic material, which covering by means of supplied compressed air can be forced to move out of contact with the plate profile over a greater or smaller part of the surface. According to another embodiment the guiding vanes wholly consist of an elastic material and are provided with flexing means arranged in the profile, said means when turned causing a change of the form of the profile. In a modified embodiment the deformable guiding vanes are equipped with an outer covering of Tefion or corresponding material with a similar antiadhering property.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings showing some examples of the use of the invention for guiding vanes.

FIG. 1 is an axial section and elevation showing the guiding vanes or blades in relationshp to the blower;

FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged sectional View taken on the line 2- 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged view of a single blade or vane, the View being taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a View like FIG. 4 showing the vane distorted;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of a modification; and

FIG. 7 is a section taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

In the drawing 1 designates a number of guiding vanes rigidly arranged between an inner ring 2 and an outer supporting ring 3. Numerals 43 and 5 designate connection flanges for the connection of the guiding vane device to a blower B. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 the designation number 6 stands for a guiding vane profile made of plate and provided with an outer covering 7 of rubber or a similar elastic material. The numeral 8 designates a pipe leading into the plate profile for the supply of compressed air to the interior of the profile, which compressed air is caused to discharge through a number of holes 9 in the plate profile and thereby move the covering out of contact with the plate profile over a greater or smaller part of the surface. In this manner the cross section profile of the guiding vanes is temporarily changed resulting in a breaking up and removing of the layer of dust deposited from the gas and covering the surface of the guiding vanes.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 the numeral 10 stands for the flexible portion of a guiding vane &144383 Patented Aug. 18, 1964 1' made entirely of an elastic material except for the fiexing means. The numeral 11 designates a flexing means arranged inside said guicling vane and equipped with a protruding pin lila for the turning of said means in order to effect a temporary change of the form of the profile ot' the guiding vane.

The material 16 represented in FIGS. 6 and 7 has been referred to as elastic material. Rubber and Teflon have been mentioned specifically as covering materials but other suitable materials are known and may be used. The well-known family of polymerized fluorocarbons has the characteristic of being adhesion-resistant to almost all known substances and Teflon is mentioned because it is the best known member oi' the family.

What we claim is:

1. self-cleaning guide vane structure, as for guide vanes arranged downstream from a blower and subject to an accumulation thereon of hardenable material which can be broken up for removal as by flexure deformation of the guide vanes: comprising a guide vane assembly including radially spaced fixed stationary vane supporting anchorage means, a plurality of radial stationary guide vanes xedly anchored at their ends to said spaced fixed stationary anchorage means, leaving their sides and edges between the fixed ends free for flexure, each guide vane being formed of flexible, resilient, distortable covering material, and a rigid flexing member embedded in the covering material intermediate said anchored ends, said fiexing member having an Operating element extending from the covering material at one end and through the anchorage means at that end for manipulation of the rigid flexing member to temporarily flex and deform the covering material to break up the hardened material thereon for removal.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which the fixed end anchorage means includes inner and outer rings to which the stationary vanes are Secured, said Operating element comprising a turnable shaft extending through and beyond one of said rings and arranged to be turned on its aXis to turn the flexing member to distort the covering material.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, in which said flexible, resilient, distortable covering material is rubber.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, in which said flexible, resilient, distortable covering material is a polymerized fluorocarbon having a surface with low adherent characteristics.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 859,863 Young et al. July 9, 1907 2,337,861 Adamtchik Dec. 28, 1943 2,404,678 Wuensch July 23, 1946 2,406,499 Jandasek Aug. 27, 1946 2,475,121 Avery July 5, 1949 2,616,509 Thomas Nov. 4, 1952 2,672,281 Redding Mar. 16, 1954 2,695,246 Jurgensen Nov. 23, 1954 2,737,019 Billman Mar. 6, 1956 2,786,792 Mikiska Mar. 26, 1957 2,966,028 Johnson Dec. 27, 1960 3,038,698 Troyer June 12, 1962 3,042,371 Fanti July 3, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 223,946 Australia Mar. 13, 1958 564318 Great Britain Oct. 18, 1944 OTHER REFERENCES Bulletin B-4A of the Chicago Gasket Company, 1275 W. North Avenue, Chicago 22, Ill., entitled New Ways to Use Koma Teflon Products. 

1. SELF-CLEANING GUIDE VANE STRUCTURE, AS FOR GUIDE VANES ARRANGED DOWNSTREAM FROM A BLOWER AND SUBJECT TO AN ACCUMULATION THEREON OF HARDENABLE MATERIAL WHICH CAN BE BROKEN UP FOR REMOVAL AS BY FLEXURE DEFORMATION OF THE GUIDE VANES: COMPRISING A GUIDE VANE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING RADIALLY SPACED FIXED STATIONARY VANE SUPPORTING ANCHORAGE MEANS, A PLURALITY OF RADIAL STATIONARY GUIDE VANES FIXEDLY ANCHORED AT THEIR ENDS TO SAID SPACED FIXED STATIONARY ANCHORAGE MEANS, LEAVING THEIR SIDES AND EDGES BETWEEN THE FIXED ENDS FREE FOR FLEXTURE, EACH GUIDE VANE BEING FORMED OF FLEXIBLE, RESILIENT, DISTORTABLE COVERING MATERIAL, AND A RIGID FLEXING MEMBER EMBEDDED IN THE COVERING MATERIAL INTERMEDIATE SAID ANCHORED ENDS, SAID FLEXING MEMBER HAVING AN OPERATING ELEMENT EXTENDING FROM THE COVERING MATERIAL AT ONE END AND THROUGH THE ANCHORAGE MEANS AT THAT END FOR MANIPULATION OF THE RIGID FLEXING MEMBER TO TEMPORARILY FLEX AND DEFORM THE COVERING MATERIAL TO BREAK UP THE HARDENED MATERIAL THEREON FOR REMOVAL. 